Photographic-print-drying apparatus



Sept. 11, 1928. 1,683,883

J. s. GREENE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT DRYING APPARATUS` Filed May 12, 1925 2sheets-sheet 1 Sept. 11, '1928. 1,683,883

J. s. GREENE PHOTOGRAPHIG PRINT DRYING APPARATUS Filed may 12, 192s 2sheets-sheet 2 z5 A TToRNEY Patented sept. "11, 192s.

UNITED STATES t 1,683,883. PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. GREENE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO PHOTOSTATCORPORATION,

A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. Y

PHOTOGRAPHIC-PRINT-DRYING- APPARATUS.

Application md may 12,

My present invention relates to photogra phy and more particularlymachines for developing photographic prints and it has for its object toprovide an improved drying apparatus that will take the freshlydeveloped and washed print and dry it expeditiously and thoroughly in asimple and convenient way. While, as stated, the drier is primarily anadjunct of the developing apparatus itself,

my invention is particularly applicable to cameras of the type known ascommercial cameras whichv photograph directly upon 'a sensitized paperthat is then automatically developed in the same machine. To these andother ends the inventionresides in certain improvements and'combinationsof parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novelfeatures being pointed out in the claims at the end ofthe specification.

In the drawings: v Figure 1 is a side elevation of a camera pro-r videdwith automatic developing means and tted with a drying apparatusconstructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of myinvention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged central section Vthrough the dryer and afragment of the' adjacent developing apparatus.

Figure 3 is a rear view ofthe drier.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of a conveyor showing one ofthe sheet c-arrying devices detail and Figure 5 is a horizontal sectionon the line 5--5 of Figure 2.

` the several views indicate the same parts.

As before stated my drier is particularly adapted .for use withcommercial cameras in which sensitive pa r in the continuous 4U roll`is-exposed, severe developed and iixed through the use of asemi-automatic develop- 4 ing apparatus from which it is v deliveredeither Washed ornnwashed ready for drying. Such a machine is lshown inmy prior Patent No. 1,421,079 J une 27, 1922. There is therein shown. aApluralit of tanks and a tray or` other inal deposlto for the prints allarranged in a small dar room. After the print has. been severed it ispicked up by an endless conveyor provided with suitableimpaling de vicesfor the purpose and carried through the several tanks after which it isdeposited lin the tray in a Wet condition. vThe present inventioncontemplates providing for the developing Yapparatus an improvedconstruc- Similar reference numerals throughout 1923. Serial No.638,644.

t1on of drier into which the washed print is carrled bythe conveyor andthoroughly dried ibefore being returned to the tray or deposiory.

Referring .to the drawings 1 indicates gen.- erally a famlhar type ofcommercial camera supported on a stand or table 2. The developlngapparatus embodied therein comprises a housing 3 beneath the camera bodyforming a dark room in the bottom of which are three vertical tanks ,4,5 and 6 constituti respectively the develop-ing bath, the fixing bathvand the rinsing bath, the latter-only with the rearward portion of thedark oom belng shown in Figure 2. Running through the dark room near thebottom thereof is a conveyor consisting of side chains 7 running voversprockets 8 and thence around s rockets 9 atthe bottoms of therespective tanks. Connecting the side chains 7 of the conveyor atintervals are a plurality of cross bars 10 each provided with aplurality of impaling devices ll'having the present form of barbed spurso r pms as bestshown in Figure 4. The exposed print after being severedin the camera at the front end of the 'dark room is picked' up by onevor another of these impaling dev1ces in a manner explained in my saidprior patent but not of interest here and isretained on the carrying barat its forward edge in 35 the manner indicated in Figure 4 wherein ayfragment of the sheet is shown at A. After emerging from the washingtank 6 into which 1t 1s thus drawn by the conveyor, the sheet` or printpasses between rolls 12 at the rear end of the dark chamber 3 (one ofwhich is fitted with sprockets 13A for the conveyor chains) and outthrough a narrow slotted opening 14 in the rear wall of the dark chamberto the drier hereinafter described.

In "thepractice of my invention I attach to the rear end of the darkchamber housing 3 by brackets 15 or otherwise a dryingapparatusembodying a downwardly extending casing 16 which isl independent ofthe'l00 stand or table 2 for the reason that itmust move with thehousing 3 as the camera is focused. Within this casing is a series ofinclined slides 17 in zigzag arrangement so that the lower end of'one isin position to 105( deliver to the upper end of the next ,lower one.These slides are supported at their upper ends on the walls of thecasing including a partition wall 18 and at their lower ends upontransverse shafts 19 and 110 are of such a nature asto permit the freepassage of air upwardly through the chamber. In the present instance theslides consist of rods or wires as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3.Turningonthe shafts 19 near their ends'are sprockets 20 for the conveyorchains 7 so that the latter carry the wet print downwardly dragging itfrom one to another. of the slides upon which it rests and finallyacross slides 21 on a false bottom 22 with which the'casing is provided.From thence The print driesduring its travel down through Ithecasinglbeing exposed to a circulation of air on both sides and to hastenthis drying actionI provide for a forced circulation of warm a1rwithinthe casing. Between the false bottom 22 and the bottom 28 is a chamber29 containing a fan or blower 30 rotating on a. vertical axis to forceal current of air upwardly as shown by the arrows through an opening 31in the false bottom 22. This air is drawn into the chamber 29 throughsuitable lateral openings 32 in the casing and, before reaching theblo-wer, passes over heatingelements 33 in the present form ofelectrical heating coils'having the terminals 34. Baiiles 35 at thesides of the blower cause the air'to pass through the coils to theopening 31 and the blower is mounted with its motor on a platform 36extending between the baies.

The conveyor chains 7 are driven through a motor 37 (Figure 1) through ashaft 38 (Figure 2) provided within the dar-k cha1n` .ber 3 withsprockets 39.

I claimas my invention: 1. In a photographic print drier, thecombinationh with a drying chamber having a pluralityof inclined slidestherein one above the other zigzag arrangement, of continuousmeansconstantly engaged with the print 'at a definite point for conveyingsa-idprint progressivelv downward across first one slide then the otherin reverse directions.

2. In a photographic print'drier, the combination vwith a. dryingchamber having a plurality of inclined slides therein one above theother in zigzag arrangement, of an endless conveyor adapted to conduct aprint into the drying chamber. progressively downward across first oneslide then the other, in lreverse directions and thence outv of thechamber. v

3. In a photographic print drier, the combination with a drying chamberhaving a plurality of inclined slidesthercin one above the other inzigzag arrangement, each of said slides being open for the circulationof air therethrough, of means for dragging` a print progressivelydownward across first one slide and then the other in reverse directionsand means for driving a current of air upwardly through the chamber. i

4. In a photographic print drier, t e com bination with a drying chamberhavingja( plurality of inclined slides therein one above the other inzigzag arrangement, of a support for the lower end of each slide,sprockets associated with said supports, and an endless conveyor chainarranged to run over the sprockets and provided with print carriersadapted 'todrag a print progressively downward across first one slideand then the other in reverse directions.

5. In a photographic print'drier, the combination with a drying chamberhaving a plurality of slides therein arranged adjacent each other instaggered'relatiOn, of endless conveying means cooperating successivelywith each of said slides and engaging the print at a definite point forconveying the print progressively along first one slide then the otherin reverse directions.

' *JOHN S. GREENE.

